Leaving Lymon: Part 1

He took his hands and made a cup around it and made music come out that sounded a lot like the train whistle back at the depot.

“Vera and Shirley send their best,” Grandpops told Daddy. “Clark got a good job at the new foundry in Milwaukee. They told us to come up and join ’em.”

“That’s Lymon,” Ma said, ’fore I could even answer. “He gets fidgety, but if he acts up, you let me know.”

Every one of them dressed fancy, with their hair pressed and shiny with Sweet Georgia Brown pomade like it was Easter Sunday, sat up front near the teacher’s desk.

I put my head down. “Ma says we can’t afford no doctor coming round here all the time. So, she has me cleaning it in the morning and at night. She has a salve I rub on too. Smells nasty.”

Ma told me your momma was already big with Orvis’s baby and looked so pitiful.

“You are aware, ma’am, that he is required by the state of Wisconsin to attend school? Truancy is a violation of compulsory law and if he does not meet a basic attendance requirement then it is within our right to impose a fine or—”
“I said he’s been sick.”

“You are aware, ma’am, that he is required by the state of Wisconsin to attend school? Truancy is a violation of compulsory law and if he does not meet a basic attendance requirement then it is within our right to impose a fine or—”
“I said he’s been sick.”

“You are aware, ma’am, that he is required by the state of Wisconsin to attend school? Truancy is a violation of compulsory law and if he does not meet a basic attendance requirement then it is within our right to impose a fine or—”
“I said he’s been sick.”

“You are aware, ma’am, that he is required by the state of Wisconsin to attend school? Truancy is a violation of compulsory law and if he does not meet a basic attendance requirement then it is within our right to impose a fine or—”
“I said he’s been sick.”

“I understand that, ma’am, but he will either need to see a physician and provide documentation or—”
“He’ll be in school tomorrow,” Ma said, and shut the door.

“Ma’am...Mrs. Caldwell, I am sure you understand I have a job to do. And I need to ensure that every child in the district is receiving an adequate—”

“Put that away. I got a proposal for you.” He pointed me to a seat.

“Lymon, I have a dilemma.” Mr. Eugene told me his daughter went to college, but I think he must have gone too.

Sometimes I wondered how Aunt Vera could be Ma’s kin.